Re: _[norse_course]_Skjót_er_øx_Óláfs_en_skjóttr_hestr_hans.

> 1. The name 'Snarøx' is recommended, but sounds strange to most people
> > who speak Icelandic.
>
> I don't know how it sounds to most people who speak Icelandic.
> I haven't made a survey. My problem is that I can't recall or
> find an instance where an adjective meaning 'swift' is applied
> to a weapon. Weapons tend to be 'tall', 'gilded', 'bloody',
> 'hard', 'dark', 'sharp' etc. but I don't remember 'swift'.

Nor do I, and I've done a fair amount of translation. However, applying
'tall' to 'balloon' in English isn't commonly done either, but not
obviously incorrect.

But take my word for it: it sounds silly.

> And if the compound is to be used as a byname with the implication
> that it is the wielder of the axe (presumably any axe) that is actually
> swift that requires a whole new, well, assumption. I don't feel that
> one to be obviously correct either. It's not obviously incorrect,
> I'd just like to see something analogous.

SCA = Society for Creative Anachronism.

The anachronism in this case is the modern-day American English fantasy
title 'swift-axe' applied to Old Norse as a byname.

> > 2. Snarøx = SNAR in the English world 'snarl' and UE pronounced at the
> > same time with the U short and the E long, and then the X like the CH in
> > Bach or loch, but not CK in lock or kick. It's a softer sound than K,
> > like you're snoring softly.
>
> No. The Icelandic 'x' is composed of two sounds and only the first one is
> as you're describing. The second is, more or less, an [s]. The 'r' in the
> Icelandic word is not like the 'r' in "snarl". I can't say whether your
> vowel description is correct since I don't understand it.

Okay... number one: I was trying to simplify the pronunciation for
someone who probably has no real interest in the language as a whole.
Number two: the poor hick doesn't understand what a trill (rolling 'R')
is, so the point is lost on him.

Let's be a *little* understanding of levels of understanding (or lack
thereof), eh? Trying to help someone out who obviously doesn't want a
complete discourse on pure pronunciation doesn't ensure accuracy, but
for SCA stuff, I didn't see a big problem with it.

> > I'd suggest a
> > name like Hawk (Haukur) or Thor's Stone (Thorsstein), as these are much
> > easier and have a more historic basis, which makes name justification at
> > Laurel level much easier, as these were (and largely, still are) fairly
> > common names.
>
> The Old Norse spelling of the above names is Haukr and Þorsteinn respectively.

Haukr = Right

Thorsstein = More correct for ON/b than ON/I. Depends on the source as
to whether or not the double-S is necessary. I find both spellings in
old texts. The single-S version is more favored in the Eastern dialects
such as those found on the mainland, but in Iceland the double-S seems
to be about even, where preferences are concerned.

In addition, I was using 7-bit ASCII characters to try to lower the
confusion threshold. Oh, excuse me: Þreshold...

Sheesh...

> > As for the Spanish trill, it's typical for them to
> > say all R's with a slight trill,
>
> Hmm... Well, I'm told it's mostly the double 'r' that's trilled
> and the single 'r' is more like a flap. Thus the Old Norse 'r'
> corresponds to the Spanish 'rr' in "forro" rather than the 'r'
> in "foro". Maybe "Spanish r" was misleading... (How about "Scots r"?)
> But I don't really speak Spanish. Maybe Óskar will tell me his perception...

Oh, yes, this is quite a bit more accurate! Thanks. :)

> P.S. One more thing. The only Old Norse version of the name
> of the fair-haired king that I'm aware of is 'Haraldr'
> (and, yes, the 'r' is there and it isn't silent).

I stand corrected. I looked it up. It is indeed. I guess it's been a
while since I read Snorri's works. Time to brush up a little!